"As always, your penchant for dramatics leaves much to be desired Harry."

Tevos' dry observation washed over the stunned Commander Shepard and the heartily amused Harry Potter. The Commander was up out of her chair, hands unconsciously seeking a weapon but not finding one in her dress uniform. She said frantically, "What the fuck are you?"

Harry, who had sat back in his chair to enjoy the show, said simply, "I am a wizard."

Shepard, who was calming down rapidly as her military training started to take over after the initial shock, replied, "That doesn't mean shit. Tell me what the hell is going on or you're out. I don't care how much you think I need you."

Harry sighed, "That's what this meeting is about. Telling you my deepest darkest secrets."

The counselor mirrored Harry's sigh, "Would you stop demonstrating Iyala's less desirable traits and get on with it. I have a crisis to manage."

Harry let out a bark of laughter and straightened up in his seat, "Very well. Have a seat Commander. All will be explained."

She replied stiffly, "I'd prefer to stand."

"As you wish. Now, where to start. Ah. Yes. Some 1300 years ago, four of the most accomplished wizards and witches of the age founded a school named Hogwarts..."

In a conversation reminiscent of the one he'd initially had six years ago with Tevos, Harry outlined the history of the wizarding world. Shepard was dumbfounded, "How did we not know? You can't just hide millions of people dying like that."

Harry shook his head with a small smile, "You would be surprised what history the Wizarding World was entangled in. You must understand, this happened only two years after the formation of the Systems Alliance. Prior to that, each countries Ministry of Magic had different policies for dealing with their mundane counterparts. Some kept their existence completely separate, some informed only the Head of State, and some were actually highly integrated into the upper echelons of their government. The Systems Alliance threw everything into confusion, because the Wizarding World did not have an equivalent and so did not know how to interact with this new government. We debated it for two years and there was actually some talk of doing away entirely with the Statute of Secrecy and attempting to co-exist under the auspices of Humanity, not wizard and muggle. We never really reached a conclusion before the accident in Singapore, and when it was all over I utilized my contacts with the mundane governments to clean up and cover up. I was… not in a good place at the time. I foolishly did not want reminders of the Wizarding World so I spent the years afterwards traveling the world removing all traces of it and obliviating anyone and everyone that had come into contact with magic. I regret that now..."

After his lengthy speech he absently conjured a glass and filled it with water, sitting back and taking a sip as he lost himself in memories. Tevos was silent. He'd let hints of what had happened slip during meetings between the two and she had an idea of the horrors he'd endured and what he'd done so she gave him a moment to lose himself in memories. Shepard was also silent, but for the simpler reason of being shocked by his conjuration. After a few moments Shepards curiosity returned, "So, why are you masquerading as an Asari Spectre?"

Harry came out of his reverie with a bark of laughter, "That was part of the deal when they let me join the Spectre's. They wanted my abilities, but they didn't want me to be human. So, we compromised. I get to be a Spectre, they don't have a human running around breaking the laws of physics in the name of the council."

"Why haven't we heard of you? One hint of your abilities and it would be all over the galaxy."

Harry's mouth twisted grimly, "I'm very good at what I do, and I don't leave witnesses. There are also spells that protect my identity. That piece of parchment I gave you is the key to one of them, which keeps separate my two identities. Speaking of, if I could have that back?"

She handed it back to him and he replaced it in the tiny slot in his hood and then sealed it back up. He spoke again, "There are no electronic records of magic. All records are physical and hidden under complex spells. The good counselor here has access to them as well as my former Spectre mentor. You should read my mission reports, they're all excellent works of fiction, if I do say so myself."

Shepard was about to ask another question when Tevos cut in, "Commander Shepard, if you are satisfied with Harry's explanation I have other business to attend to. You can ask your other questions later."

Harry stood, "Of course. Commander, I can take you to the Spectre office now, there really are things we need to do there."

She nodded slowly, "I will have more questions… but let's go."

He smiled at her and took a few moments to replace his transfigurations and glamours. He started towards the door and heard the commander mutter to herself behind him, "That's just freaky."

Harry smiled twisted into a smirk as they left the office and they walked in silence the few minutes it took to get to the Spectre office, her in deep thought and him waiting for the deluge of questions that was going to come. He let her in they passed through the lobby to a small office tucked away in the back. Harry opened the door and stepped inside, "Eran, I need you to fast-track Commander Shepards status and clearance."

The crusty old Turian sitting behind the desk looked up at him, "Little T'rahn. Still haven't gotten a good set of armor I see. Someone's going to blow through your barrier one day and I'm going to laugh."

Harry grinned cockily, "Never happen. Now, about those clearances."

He grumbled, "Send her in. I'll set her up."

Harry gestured and Shepard stepped in, walking up and standing in front of the desk. Harry introduced them, "Shepard, this is Eran Vrossik, oldest Turian Spectre still active. Eran, Commander Shepard, newest Council Spectre."

The elderly Turian flared his mandibles in irritation, "Yes yes. I saw the spectacle. I don't know what the council is thinking, giving the humans a Spectre. Then again, they let that mad vakar Saren be one. The Spirits alone know what those idiots are doing. Back in my day..."

Eran went on a grumbling rant as he tapped away at his haptic interface. Harry leaned over and whispered, "This might take a while. I'm going to get some supplies, meet me back in the lobby if you're finished before me."

She nodded, her eyes fixed dubiously on the Turian. Harry backed out of the room and made use of a blind spot in the tight surveillance to conjure a small duffel bag before navigating the Spectre's office to the suite of rooms where weapons, armor, and tech were stored for Spectre use. He grabbed a half-dozen Spectre grade omni-tools as well as two powerful biotic-suppression collars, stuffing them all in the bag. Moving to the other side of the room he grabbed a small case filled with tiny communicators. He knew that with Shepard he's be working with a team and since he didn't use a modern helmet with radio built in, they'd need a way to communicate while sealed up. These were tiny earwigs powerful enough to reach a ship in orbit from the planet below. He slid the case inside the bag and zipped it up, done for now. He slung the bag on his shoulder and stepped out of the room, headed back towards the lobby. It took a few minutes to make it back and when he did Shepard was standing there, tapping her feet and looking through something on her Omni-tool. As soon as she saw him she came over and pre-empted him, "We need to go now. Councilor Tevos forwarded me a lead on Benezia. Her daughter is an archaeologist on a dig out in the Traverse. We're going to go pick her up and interrogate her."

"Ah. Haste it is then. Come. My ship is up in the Spectre' dock and I'll need my gear if I'm going with you."

Her impatience was palpable as they stepped into the elevator that led to the dock. As always it was frustratingly slow. He quickly led her to the Gallant and she gave it a critical eye as the boarded. He could tell that she wasn't impressed. He wasn't bothered. He'd long ago learned that though his little corvette was a workhouse, getting him where he needed to be, it was less than impressive. He led her into his tiny bedroom and went over to a small cabinet embedded in the wall. He opened it to show two dozen trunks, all shrunk down until they were the size of his fist. Since he was hesitant to mess with space expanding charms aboard something that was going to go through a mass relay, he'd had to get creative when it came to storing his equipment. Each trunk was meticulously organized and labeled. He ran his fingers over a few, trying to decide which would be worth taking. Glancing back at Shepard who was watching him intently he murmured, "Best pack it all. This could take a while."

He plucked the top left trunk from the cabinet and set it on the bed. He snapped his wand into his hand and with a flick it grew back to its normal size, the top of the trunk popped open and another small flick sent all of the trunks orderly flying into the larger one. He smirked slightly at the incredulous look painted across Shepards face. He flicked his wand again and the small storage locker where he kept his combat leathers and spare robes opened and all of his spares flew out and folded themselves neatly at the top of his trunk. One set of leathers spread itself on the bed and with a quick switching spell they were on his body and his khakis and button-up were lying rumpled in their place. He summoned the rest of his accoutrements and threw them on. Belt first, then the pouch and mask at his left and right hips. Last was his baldric and sword, which he slung over his shoulder and tightened across his chest.

Harry closed the trunk lid and shrunk that one down to the size of his fist and tossed it into the duffel bag with his requisitioned tech. He turned to Shepard, who was still watching incredulously, and said, "Alright. Ready to go."

She took in his appearance for a moment and said, "You look ridiculous. Do you actually fight in that?"

He laughed, "This is the uniform of an Auror! A legacy of the proud men and women who fought for, and served Britain for centuries. I'd be ashamed not to wear it!"

The woman raised a single unimpressed eyebrow. Harry laughed again and continued, "And it's a psychological ploy. It makes dumb enemies underestimate me, because how could someone who looks so ridiculous be dangerous. And it makes smart enemies wary, because only a powerful biotic would go into a fight wearing flimsy robes."

Shepard pointed out, her haste forgotten for curiosity, "You aren't a powerful biotic though, so why do you go into a fight unarmored."

"There are powerful enchantments on the robes. They create a field not unlike your own shields, but it vaporizes incoming bullets."

She crossed her arms and frowned, "That still leaves you vulnerable in close quarters."

Harry couldn't help but smirk as he reached of an patted the hilt of his sword, "That's what this beauty is for. Unbreakable, and imbued with the most deadly poison known to man. One nick will kill a Krogan, regardless of how powerful its regeneration is. Besides, I have a host of spells that allow me to keep my opponents at a distance. The sword is a last resort."

Shepard nodded but a flicker of frustration flashing across her face, "I'm trying to figure out what role you'll play on my team. I don't know anything about your abilities, so it's impossible."

Harry shrugged, "I'm here to follow your orders. Just ask, and I'll tell you if I can do something."

Shepard nodded again and Harry continued, "Right. One more stop and then we'll be ready."

He held out his arm, "If you would take my arm, I'll have us there in a moment."

Her eyebrows shot up but she gently laid a hand on his arm. Harry rolled his eyes, "Grip it tightly please."

Her grip tightened and a moment later Harry apparated them to his and Iyala's presidium safe house. With a sharp crack Harry and Shepard reappeared in the living room. The woman immediately let go of Harry's arm and grabbed a nearby table to steady herself, her face decidedly pale. Harry clapped her on the back, "You must have a strong stomach Shepard. Everyone else puked the first time, even Iyala."

At the mention of her name the Asari stepped out of their workroom and said, "That's because it isn't natural."

Harry grinned, "Shepard here did fine with it. That proves it, you have a weak stomach."

Shepard straightened up and said dryly, "Don't use me to score points. Iyala, I presume?"

The human woman stepped up and shook the elder Spectre's hand. Iyala replied, "I like you already. Shepard, right? Nice to have you aboard. I watched your induction ceremony, they really threw you to the deeps with this one."

Harry snorted, "You've got that right. Which is why I volunteered to aid her mission."

Iyala shrugged, "Like I didn't know that was going to happen as soon as they made Shepard a Spectre and sicced her on Saren."

Harry was incensed, "You did not."

The Asari smirked at him, "Why else would I have packed everything you have here and have it ready to go."

Harry was about to respond hotly again but Shepard cut him off, " Ha- Ale… What the hell do I even call you?"

He replied, "When I look like an Asari call me Aleria. Otherwise you can call me Harry. If you tried to call me Harry while I looked like this in the presence of someone who doesn't know, you wouldn't be able to. There is a spell that prevents you from spilling my secret."

She nodded again, saying slowly, "Right… We're in a hurry though, so let's wrap this up."

Harry nodded and turned back to Iyala, "Where is my stuff then."

"In the study. I shoved it all in your trunk."

Harry swiftly strode into the study where another trunk sat. He cracked the lid and sighed at the mess Iyala had left in it. Red robes were shoved to one side, a stack of loosely bound parchment was on the other, and various metal and wooden objects were stacked on top of it all. Grumbling, he flicked his wand out again and spent a few moments organizing the trunk. When he was through, he shrunk it and stowed it in his duffel bag. Now with everything he needed he went back into the living room. Iyala was standing near Shepard talking lowly. A jolt of understanding went through Harry and he called out, "If you wanted a chance to talk to Shepard alone you could have just asked instead of making a mess of my things."

Iyala scoffed, completely blowing him off, "You're so paranoid Harry. Besides, you know how much I hate packing. It's boring."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Constant Vigilance and all that. I don't care what you had to say, but since you have time to pass on gossip you can do me a favor. I need dossiers on Saren and Matriarch Benezia. Not the official crap either, dig into the Spectre databases and get me something I can use to track them."

She was suddenly serious as she nodded, "It might take me a few days to dig something up."

Harry replied, "That's fine. We already have a lead. We've located Benezia's daughter. We're going to retrieve her and we should be back here in a few days to interrogate her. Have it for me by then."

Iyala nodded and Harry turned to Shepard, "I'm ready."

She replied to him, "Let's go. We need to return to my CO's ship to grab my gear. The Alliance should have found a ship for me by now and we can go."

"Right. Where is it docked."

"C-Sec dock 48. We'll have to go through C-Sec to get there."

Harry nodded, "Alright. Your turn to lead then."

They left the apartment and strode across the Presidium towards C-sec. A few minutes into the walk Shepard spoke suddenly, "Where are the gawkers? You're an Asari walking around with a sword strapped to your back in ridiculous robes. There should be gawkers lining the streets."

The wizard chuckled, "I figured that out after the first few times walking through the Presidium. I added a notice-me-not enchantment to all my robes. If they aren't actively looking for me or know I'm there, their eyes slide right past me. It doesn't work in a fight unfortunately, the enchantment is finicky that way. I have other methods of staying out of sight."

"Such as?"

Harry gave his duffel bag a pat, "I have a dossier on my abilities I made up for Iyala when I was her Spectre trainee. I'll probably need to update it a bit but when I'm done I'll let you read it."

She nodded her appreciation as they turned into C-sec headquarters. Halfway through the Citadel day cycle it was packed with officer and civilians all trying to get something done through the bureaucracy of C-sec. The pair squeezed through the crowds and took the central elevator up. It took five minutes and a switch to a different elevator for them to finally make it to her ship where two men stood outside the skybridge that linked the dock to a sleek frigate bearing the name Normandy. A tall, broad black man in military dress blues stood next to a slightly shorter man with a sour face wearing an expensive white suit. Harry recognized the outspoken human ambassador to the Council Donnel Udina, but not the military man. Shepard marched right up to them and saluted, "Captain Anderson, Ambassador."

The now named Anderson returned her salute but Udina got right into it, "I've got big news for you Shepard. Captain Anderson is stepping down as Commander of the Normandy. The ship is yours now."

Harry couldn't see her face but he did see her shoulders stiffen in surprise as Anderson took over, "She's quick and quiet and you know the crew. Perfect ship for a Spectre."

"Sir, th…"

"Take good care of her Commander."

She replied staunchly, "I will sir."

Udina seemed silkily satisfied by the handover of power that he had just facilitated and turned to Harry, snidely asking, "And who is this? Another alien you've conscripted to serve on a highly classified Alliance warship?"

The Commander answered him blandly, "This is Council Spectre Aleria T'rahn. She has been assigned to my mission."

Harry cursed her in his mind as Anderson's gaze sharpened on him and Udina purpled, a color that wouldn't be out of place on Vernon's face. He sputtered out, "This is outrageous! The council has no right! This is Shepards mission!"

Harry stepped forward and smoothly said, "It still is Commander Shepards mission. There was concern within the Spectre's office that Shepard had not adequately been prepared to be a Spectre. That's why I am here."

It was Anderson this time that objected, "Commander Shepard is one of the finest soldiers I've had the privilege to serve with. There's no question…"

Harry interrupted him, "I held Nihlus Kryik in high regard and if he chose her as a Spectre candidate then I have no question of her abilities. However, even if the Council is going to throw the Commander to the deeps for the sake of politics, the Spectre's won't. The Council wills it, so she is one of us. Contrary to popular belief, there are rules and regulations for Spectre's. I'm here to teach her, as Nihlus would have had he lived. She's still in command, I'm just here to… smooth the way for her."

This seemed to mollify Captain Anderson, in fact, Harry could sense a faint approval from the naval Captain. Not so much Udina. The oily man continued snidely, "The Council already made her a full Spectre. Humanities Spectre does not need the other races looking over her shoulder."

Harrys lips thinned and he replied lowly, emulating the cold tone of the woman whose voice he used, "Councilor Udina. The Council has given Humanity a Spectre. Don't be ungrateful. You've done your job, now let the Spectre's do ours. I would suggest not angering us more than you already have, usurping our right to assess and choose our own members. A small fish like you is easily ignored by larger predators but if you keep nibbling around the edges of something greater than yourself…"

Harry left the threat unsaid but he felt that he'd gotten the message across to the slimy Ambassador. The man's rage didn't seem to abate but his jaw clenched and he didn't say a word after that. There were a few awkward moments before Shepard spoke to Anderson, "Sir, we need to move quickly. Councilor Tevos forwarded us a lead on Benezia's daughter. She's out in the Traverse and our first objective is to find and interrogate her."

He nodded, "The Normandy is yours Commander. I know you'll do the Alliance proud."

She saluted one more time and then turned sharply, beckoning for Harry to follow her down the skybridge into the elegant frigate. As they cycled through the airlock he commented acerbically, "Thanks for throwing me to the sharks Shepard. That man is the worst kind of politician. He might give old Lucius a run for his money in sheer sliminess."

There wasn't a hint of smugness in her tone or bearing but her face was much too carefully controlled for Harry to think she was anything but, "I told Councilor Udina the truth. You have been assigned to this mission."

The wizard snorted, "I asked you if I could join your mission, and you said yes. Being assigned to this mission is a polite fiction for the Spectre's office."

She turned slightly towards him, "And what was that all about, usurping the rights of the Spectre's to assess and choose their own members."

Harry shrugged, "He was an ass. And there probably are some Spectre's angry that you got the bump so quickly. Besides, I needed something to make the threat stick."

The VI started to declare the all clear when Shepard suddenly hissed, "Change back. Change back to normal."

Harry immediately flicked his wand out and undid the transfigurations and glamours. He was sliding his wand back into its holster as the doors hissed open and only then did he question, "Why the change?"

Shepard snorted, "Really? You have to ask? I'm going to explain that you're a wizard first, Asari Spectre second. No way am I letting you do the whole dramatic reveal with my team."

Harry smirked as they stepped onto her ship and replied, "I certainly had fun with it."

They walked through the CIC and skirted the navigators platform, both ignoring the looks Harry got for his bizarre robes, and entered a circular conference room with eight surprisingly comfortable looking chairs arranged in two semi-circles facing each other . Shepard pointed to a chair and said, "Sit. I need to round up my crew and get this over with as soon as possible."

Harry set his bag down, unbuckled his baldric, and slung it over the back of his chosen chair before falling into it, "Get what over with?"

He could tell that his cheekiness was getting on her nerves, "Explain to the crew how we have a fucking wizard pretending to be a fucking Asari Spectre who's coming on the mission because one of our targets is apparently more powerful than any other biotic I've ever fucking encountered. You know, you basically blackmailed me into bringing you on."

Harry sat back and threw an arm over the back of the chair, "Did that feel good to get out? I'll explain what needs to be explained and quell any doubts that may arise. As to the blackmail, I gave you the information I thought you needed to make an informed decision."

She rolled her eyes and turned towards the door, saying over her shoulder as she left, "Informed decision my ass. There's one on every crew. Lucky for me, it's the one I can't order to shut up."

Shepard left and the double doors slid shut behind her. Harry smirked at her description of him. He'd for years been the serious one in any partnership he'd had, whether it was as an auror or in the businesses he's started later in life. He didn't count Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, nobody had been serious in that place. He'd even felt like the reasonable one in his partnership with Iyala, even though he knew she was only acting like a stubborn ditz to aggravate him. It might have been a bit juvenile but he enjoyed acting the fool on occasion, even if on this one it was to mask his trepidation about the mission they'd undertaken.

Saren he could handle with little trouble. As long as he never let the arrogant Turian see him coming and set a trap, magic would level the playing field and then some against the admittedly deadly former Spectre. It was Benezia he worried about. She was far more dangerous than most biotics, even Iyala. His Spectre partner was a deadly combatant with centuries of experience and unrivaled understanding of combat, augmented by deadly biotic abilities. She was the pinnacle of what being an Asari Huntress meant. Harry was confident that in a straight fight he would win three out of five times. He'd even give himself even odds of surviving an ambush that didn't use explosions big enough to shatter a concrete bunker. Benezia was a different matter altogether.

One did not live to be an Asari matriarch without a substantial amount of power, both personal and political. Even Harry, who only kept abreast of Asari politics and current events enough to not blow his cover, was aware of Benezia and how powerful she was. She'd spent two centuries as a Commando and then entered service at the Temple of Athame, honing her biotic skills and learning the higher mysteries of the art. After near five centuries of service she'd retired from the temple to take control of her family and its businesses, as well as have a child. She was the Matriarch of one of the thirty founding houses of Thessia. There were dozens of theories about why, but Asari that could trace their lineage back to any house of the Thirty were generally taller, stronger, and more biotically powerful than other Asari. The most popular theory was that these enhancements had been granted to them by the Goddess Athame so that the Thirty could bring together and unify the Asari and begin their expansion towards the stars. Benezia was considered a particularly powerful biotic by even other members of the Thirty.

The closest Harry had come to death as a Spectre had been at the hands of a biotic Blood Pack Krogan not two weeks ago. By all reports, Benezia could have squished the Krogan into jelly inside of his armor. Harry had been furiously trying to come up with a strategy to combat Benezia in the scant hour he'd had to wrap his mind around the fact that he would have to face her in combat, because he was absolutely sure she and Saren wouldn't make things easy by letting the Normandy chuck a few Mass Effect slugs into at them. Most of the ideas he'd come up with involved liberal use of fire or spells that he would rather not have to resort to. He would probably have to consult Iyala about strategies to combat Matriarchs of that level of biotic power. As he pushed his sleeve back to tap a message into his omni-tool the doors opened and Shepard came back in, followed by what Harry assumed was her ground team.

A pair of humans came right behind her. Both were Alliance marines from the look of their dress. One was a lean man, tall, with a strong jawline and impeccably groomed hair wearing a spotless uniform. The other was a caramel skinned woman, taller than Shepard but built along the same lines, muscular and athletic. They moved together and took a pair of seats across from Harry. The next to enter were a Turian and a Quarian, and Harry had to quirk an eyebrow at that. Apparently the good Counselor had been telling the truth when he'd said that Shepard recruited aliens. The Turian walked with the same smooth stride every other Turian Harry had seen did, and apparently wore his armor all the time as well. He had blocky blue markings across his cheeks, nose and mandibles, and wore a C-sec targeting visor over one eye that angled back to wrap around his head. Obviously he was a skilled combatant if he had one of those. C-sec only issued them to officers likely to see action, namely its Smuggling and Interdiction force as well as the Rapid Reaction teams. His companion, a female Quarian, displayed none of those signs. In fact, she seemed nervous and her body language screamed desperately trying to play it cool. They took the other two seats across from Harry, and the wizard did not miss the mildly distasteful glance the human woman gave the Turian when he sat next to her.

Stumping along behind them was one of the largest Krogan Harry had ever seen, and he'd been up close and personal with a quite a few. He too wore his armor, blood red just like the crest that adorned the Krogans head. He disdained the seats , walking to the far side of the room and leaning on the railing with his arms crossed. Rounding out the group was an older man in a crisp Alliance uniform who stalked into the room and took the last seat in Harry's row. Shepard stood at the head of the room and hit a button on the console, speaking into it, "Joker. Set course to the Artemus Tau Cluster, Knossos system."

The apparent joker answered back, "Right away Commander. Entering coordinates… ETA is 13 hours, plus or minus the time it takes those C-sec assholes to let us out of the dock."

"Just don't ruffle too many feathers Joker. We might have to come back here."

Shepard hit a button and cut off the intercom with a squelch. Turning around, she surveyed the group arrayed in front of her, side-eyeing the Krogan over her shoulder. She dove right in, "If it isn't obvious, I'm now in command of the Normandy. Pressly, that makes you the XO."

The older officer looked taken aback but gamely nodded, "It will be my pleasure Commander."

She nodded back, "Good. Most of my experience is in ground-ops so I'll be relying on you to advise me spaceside."

She looked around, "The rest of you are the ground team that I've assembled, and I've already decided on the first leg of our mission. But first, introductions."

She hooked a thumb over her shoulder and introduced Urdnot Wrex, a Krogan mercenary who'd come aboard just to get a crack at Saren and find a good fight. She then went down the line.

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams had been recently transferred to the Normandy, the only survivor in her unit of Saren's and the Geth's assault on Eden Prime.

Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, an L2 Biotic Sentinel, and the man in command of the half-dozen marines who were posted aboard the Normandy as security.

Garrus Vakarian, C-Sec detective. Former… C-sec detective, who'd joined up to get away from all the red tape and out into the galaxy to track down a black and white criminal.

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Quarian Migrant. She'd been the one to provide the critical intelligence that led to Saren's disbarment from the Spectre's, and had joined the crew as their tech and Geth expert.

Shepard came around the circle to him and he stood up before she could introduce him. He got a few raised eyebrows, (Or in the case of Garrus, twitching mandibles,) but took over from the commander smoothly, "Shepard, I think it will go more smoothly if I introduce myself."

She ceded the floor to him, "By all means."

"My name is Harry Potter. I am here to provide the firepower necessary to take down a Matriarch as powerful as Benezia."

He knew he was inviting questions with that opening and wasn't disappointed when Chief Williams piped up, "A sword and funny robes are the firepower we need to take down an Asari Matriarch?"

The Krogan rumbled from off to the side, "An Asari Matriarch is a dangerous opponent. Their command of the Soulgrip is great and they have many years of experience to back it up. Heh. Should be fun. This human may look small and weak but he has the bearing of a warrior."

Harry nodded at the Krogan, "Thank you Mr. Urdnot. Now. To provide context to my previous statement. I am a wizard."

To punctuate his statement he flicked his wand out and jabbed it at his seat, transfiguring it into a comfortable armchair, and sat back down. There was a beat of silence before Shepard groaned and loudly slapped her forehead and the rest of the room burst into noise. It continued for a few moments before Shepard shouted the room down, "Quiet!"

The room quieted and she turned her glare to Harry, "For the love of god, just explain it. I still barely believe it and you teleported me halfway across the citadel."

Harry smirked, "Suffice to say since ancient times there has been a subset of humans born with magical ability. It is not well known because during the 17th century, due to the witch burnings and other factors, we went into hiding and formed a society outside of the existing one. Thirty two years ago the wizarding world was wiped out by an Element Zero induced plague. I covered it up and erased the evidence. I am the last of my kind, and I'm here to help Shepard on her mission. Save your questions until after the briefing."

Shepard waited a moment in case she had to quell any questions and then motioned him to continue, "And the other thing. Tell them how you got here."

He unerringly drew his secret parchment out of the edge of his hood and plucked it from the end of his wand. He leaned down to hand it to Pressly, "Read it and pass it around. I'll explain once everyone's read it."

The stares he got as the paper was passed around only increased in incredulity and when he got it back they culminated in looks of shock as he jumped up and passed his wand over himself a few times to put on his Spectre disguise. When he spoke next with his disguised voice their expressions truly brought joy to the part of his heart that enjoyed a good practical joke, "I am also Spectre Aleria T'rahn. I work for the Council disguised as an Asari Spectre and use my unique abilities in the service of the galactic good."

This time there was stunned silence as he continued, "Since Nihlus was killed in action, Commander Shepard was left without a Spectre mentor. She should have been assigned another to monitor and judge her fitness to be a Spectre. However, politics interfered and she was elevated to full Spectre before she could learn the in's and out's of the position. I'm here to make sure the oceans aren't too deep for her to swim."

Just as he'd expected, the room exploded. Everyone tried to get a word in and so Harry sat back down and answered none of them, content to let the commanding officer settle the room. She did so magnificently after half a minute of chaos.

"Enough!"

The room quieted and all heads turned towards Shepard, who was massaging the bridge of her nose. She growled, "He's a wizard. He's a Spectre. He's on this mission and part of my team. If anyone has a problem, voice it to me privately after this. Now. Assignments. Barring Pressley, you're all here as part of my ground team. However, the Normandy isn't so big that everyone won't have to pull their weight while we're on her."

Harry tuned out while she handed out assignments to everyone until she pointed at him, "You. I don't even know what you'd be good for on this ship."

He shrugged, "I'm a fair pilot. I wouldn't mind taking a shift in the cockpit."

At this her lips twitched into something resembling a smirk, "I don't think Joker would appreciate someone else horning in on his territory."

Harry's lips matched hers, "He's the jealous type? Understood. I'd already planned on putting out feelers with my contacts about Saren and Benezia's whereabouts. I'm also going to start digging into their financials and try to track them that way. I'm sure that will take up the majority of my time."

Shepard nodded, "Right. Between your Spectre resources and Wrex's in with the Shadow Broker we should be able to get all the intel we need."

A jolt of surprise ripped through Harry, "Wrex has an in with the Shadow Broker?"

Shepard frowned, "He's been working as a mercenary for the Broker for a while. Weren't you listening? I told Wrex his only job on this ship was to kill what I told him to kill and get me intel from the Shadow Broker."

Harry frowned, "I would advise not going to the Shadow Broker. What you get from it is generally not worth the favors it asks in return."

Wrex grinned toothily, "You know the Broker well wizard. I'll get what you want if you ask Shepard, but you get to pay the cost too."

Her frown deepened, "We haven't even scratched the surface of the Spectre resources yet. We'll let... T'rahn here dig into her… his… resources before we consider the Shadow Broker."

Harry dispelled his alternate identity and grinned, "I'll limit my time as Aleria while on the ship. Off the ship I will almost always be Aleria T'rahn."

Shepard sighed, "Yeah. Alright people. Thirteen hours before we get to our destination. You're all dismissed. Ground team, be ready for combat operations when we hit the Knossos System. Potter. Let's find you a bunk."

The room emptied and Harry grabbed his gear, followed his new commanding officer out of the room and down a nearby set of stairs to a lower deck. She led him past the small kitchen area and down into a long hallway filled with sleeper pods. She tapped one in the middle saying, "Felawa and Crosby are in this one but their schedules shouldn't overlap with yours much. Hotbunking is never fun but this is the only space we have to put you."

Harry took one look at the pod and immediately declined, "I think not. I'll conjure a hammock and sling it up in the cargo bay if I have to, but I won't be sleeping in one of these."

Shepard rolled her eyes, "It's not that bad. They're actually pretty cosy once you get used to them. Besides, there isn't really a place for a hammock in the cargo bay."

Harry crossed his arms, "I'm loathe to wave my Spectre status around but there is no way I'm sleeping in one of these."

The other Spectre hooked her thumb towards a slightly different pod at the end of the row, "The Alliance had that one specially put in for Nihlus when we thought he was going to be here for a while. He certainly wasn't above sleeping in one."

The wizard shrugged, "I'm not Nihlus."

Shepard sighed, "Well… we could set you up in the Med-Bay maybe…"

Harry held out a hand, "Oh no. I hate hospitals. I don't go near them if I can help it."

The woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "You are a huge pain in the ass Potter."

He grinned, "A lot of people have told me that."

Shepard rolled her eyes, "Christ. Fine. Come on."

She led him back out of the row of sleeper pods and around a corner to a cabin with a small plaque on it. Before he could get a good look at it the door slid open and Shepard stomped inside. The room was about twice the size of his little bedroom on the Gallant. Next to the door was a small table with three chairs while the other side a surprisingly large bed. In between was a small shower and toilet cubicle and across from that a desk with pictures and datapads sprawled across it. Harry realized it was the Captain's Quarters.

She gestured towards one of the chairs, "Drop your stuff. You can hotbunk here with me."

Harry smiled genially, "Commander I wouldn't want to put you out."

"It's called hotbunking for a reason. As long as you can sleep while I wor…"

Harry flicked his wand out when she started talking and after a moment's thought started to transfigure. The chairs and table melded together and then morphed into a rich oak four poster bed with red curtains. When he was finished he returned his wand to its holster and sighed, "Now isn't that nostalgic. You can take the wizard out of Gryffindor but you can't take the Gryffindor out of the wizard."

Shepard stared at the bed for a few moments before shooting Harry a sidelong glance and saying, "I don't care if you have to update it, I want the dossier on your abilities."

"Sure, sure."

Harry set the duffel bag down on the bed and began to unpack. He took his shrunken trunk and set it next to the bed before enlarging it. He flicked his wand and the lid popped open and another trunk flew out, alighting on the bed. He enlarged that one, popped the lid of open, and began to flick through the multitude of file folders that it contained. He found the one he was looking for and plucked it out before closing and re-shrinking the trunk. He passed it over to Shepard who cocked an eyebrow, "Paper files?"

Harry shrugged, "All of my documents pertaining to magic are kept on paper. Can't be hacked. Can't be tracked. Anyone trying to get into my trunk without my permission is in for a nasty surprise."

At this Shepard looked curious, "Booby trapped?"

"Lethally, but I can key you into it easy enough so you don't need to worry about that."

She nodded and then went to her desk, plopping the file down and flipping it open. He knew he'd lost her attention so he asked quickly, "Where is your armory? I need to work on some of the gear I picked up."

She hardly glanced up before replying, "Take the elevator down to the cargo bay. Can't miss it."

Harry nodded and then summoned another shrunken trunk, throwing it in the duffel bag. He took the duffel and left the stateroom and made his way towards the elevator. He was the only one waiting on the elevator and after what felt like an eternity, patience still not quite his strong suit, was able to get down to the cargo deck.

The cargo bay was a hive of activity. As he exited the elevator he saw a trio of techs going through boxes, pulling out electronics and what looked to be spare parts for the ship. A full quarter of the bay was taken up by the vehicle that Garrus Vakarian was currently inspecting. Wrex was lurking in a corner, inspecting a trio of terrifyingly large guns. His eyes caught on what he was looking for and he headed towards a pair of work benches, one of which was occupied by Ashley Williams as she was stripping and cleaning what looked to be a dozen assault rifles. She glanced up as he approached and he gave her a smile, "Mind if I join you?"

"Need to sharpen your sword?"

He slipped around to the same side as her and set his duffel down on top of the bench, "If only my task were so easy."

Unzipping the bag, he took out the shrunken trunk and set it down next to him. With a tap of his wand it was normal sized again and he started to rummage around in it, pulling out four fist sized blocks of iron that he set two feet apart from each other in a square. He bent down to pull out another four identical blocks. For these he flicked out his wand and levitated them exactly two feet above the others that he'd already set out. With another flick of his wand iron liquified and thin strands of it oozed out of each block, forming thin connections before solidifying again. One final tap of his wand activated the runes that he'd painstakingly etched into the iron and they glowed red all over the iron cube.

He was about to start rummaging around in the duffel bag for his tech when he heard the woman beside him speak, "What the fuck is that?"

He glanced over to see Ashley gaping at him, "This? It's a portable anti-magic cage."

"That… doesn't really mean much to me."

Harry smiled genially at her before explaining, "It's an anti-magic cage, basically a clean zone for magic. You see, magic and electronics really don't mix. Using too much magic around electronics makes them start to behave oddly before stopping working altogether."

A panicked gleam sparked in her eyes, "You do know that we're on the most advanced warship in council space with lots and lots of little finicky experimental electronics on board right?"

Harry waved away her concern, "It would take me a year of daily casting before the ambient magic built up enough to interfere with anything. As long as I don't try and transfigure the reactor into anything we'll be fine."

She mouthed the word transfigure confusedly while he continued, "However, high level spells of the type I would use in a duel will very quickly build up the ambient magic in my vicinity enough to start interfering with any electronics on me. Things like my Omni-Tool or an earwig, and if I try and directly cast spells on them they'll short out pretty quickly."

She pointed out, "You obviously use those though…"

Harry smiled at her as he grabbed the case of earwigs and took one out, putting one in the center of his contraption, "That I do. Thus, I need to do a little bit of tinkering before they're field ready."

He hit the earwig with an engorgement charm and it grew to ten times its size. He summoned a bundle out of his trunk and rolled it out, revealing the myriad of engraving tools within. He then summoned a roll of parchment and flattened it out, taking a moment to refamiliarize himself with the runes he needed. Ashley, who had stopped cleaning and was watching him intently, glanced at it and said, "What's all this?"

Harry set about painstakingly carving as he answered, "The answer to my problems. The runes on my cage are actually a derivation of the runes I'm carving now. The anti-magic cage allows me to make the earwig a large enough size to work with. Then I carve these runes into the earwig which will stop the ambient magic that permeates the air when I cast from destroying the delicate electronics."

Ashley frowned as she watched him work, "That seems like a lot of effort when you could wear a standard helmet."

Harry shook his head, "I prefer my robes. They give me just as much protection as your armor does."

She quirked a dark eyebrow at him, "How the hell do those robes stand up to a mass effect round?"

He glanced over and winked at her, "Magic."

The woman scoffed and went back to cleaning the guns in front of her. Harry spent the next six hours carefully carving runes into two dozen earwigs as well as two of the extra omni-tools he'd pocketed. It never hurt to be prepared after all. From experience, he knew that he'd break at least half of his earwigs before they were finished with this mission. Once he'd re-packed all of his equipment and shrunk the chest, he made his way back up to the crew deck but was waylaid as soon as he stepped off the elevator. A woman with greying hair and steely countenance, who at first glance reminded him unnervingly of Madam Pomfrey, stopped him saying in a familiar accent, "Mr. Potter, I was just coming to find you. I attempted to request your medical file from the Spectre office but was rather rudely denied. When I went to the Commander she directed me to you. Now if you'll just come with me, I'll be needing some pertinents if I'm to serve as your doctor."

He couldn't get a word in edgewise as she grabbed his elbow and steered him towards the infirmary. It was only a few feet from the elevator to the infirmary so he didn't have a chance to pull away before he was thrust into a chair next to her computer and she'd sat down, "Now, I'm Dr. Helen Chakwas, medical officer aboard the Normandy. If you would please give me access to your medical file so that I can study it and plan any treatments that may be necessary…"

He glanced at her dubiously before pulling up his Omni-tool and flicking through it, transferring his Spectre medical file to the Normandy's medical database, "Yours and the Commanders eyes only, anyone else that accesses that will have their memory wiped."

Dr. Chakwas blinked before saying dryly, "Magic indeed. The Commander was also trying to tell me something else, an alternate identity? There were points where she physically could not talk, even though there was nothing wrong with her. Your doing I presume. She gave up and told me to just ask you."

Harry grimaced before unsealing the paper that was the key behind his Fidelius, and explaining his Spectre identity. She questioned him heavily about his glamours and self-transfigurations and how they would affect any emergency treatment she might need to perform. She made him perform them and then inspected him while he was Aleria. It was an altogether surreal experience to be getting such a thorough check-up from a doctor. It had been a few decades, after all.

When she was satisfied, she returned to his file and skimmed it, noting, "This only covers the last six years. I'll need any records before that as well."

Harry chuckled nervously, "They. Ah. Suffice to say, you won't find anything official for a few decades prior to my Spectre induction, and anything before that is going to be from a magical Healer. I'm not sure how much good they'll do you."

She pursed her lips, "As a medical professional, I'm sure the jargon isn't that different. Patient broke this bone. X treatment has been applied. The problem was rectified. These were the side effects. I'm sure I can muddle on through. Frankly I think it will be a fascinating read. Expect questions."

Harry stood up and grumbled quietly, "All you healers are the same."

Chakwas cocked her head to the side, "What was that young man?"

The wizard groaned, "I'll get you the files. They're hard copies, in my trunk. And I'm at least one hundred and fifty years older than you!"

He turned and stomped towards the infirmary doors and as he was passing through them he heard her parting comment, "My, you certainly don't look it!"

It took him fifteen seconds to make his way from the infirmary to the Commander's stateroom. The door hissed open and he stepped inside, seeing Shepard still sitting at the desk she'd occupied when he left, this time working on the built in computer. She glanced at him and he complained, "Your Doctor is already harassing me. That's one of the nice things about working alone. No doctors. Anything you screw up is on your own head."

She half turned towards him in her seat and said, "You sound like you could use one. Spectre T'rahn said that you'd had your leg crushed by a biotic Krogan not two weeks ago."

Harry waved her off, "That's old news. Does it look like I had my leg crushed two weeks ago."

Shepard answered him dubiously, "No, it doesn't. Although..."

Harry started to rummage around in his trunk as he answered her unspoken question, "I fixed it myself. No doctor. No healer. Just good old fashioned Auror ingenuity and a healthy application of healing magic."

He'd pulled out the trunk that all of his files were in and was sifting through it when she asked, "How did a Krogan get close enough to you to pulp your leg. Didn't you say that you normally kept opponents at a distance, and failing that you had your sword to fall back on?"

Harry grabbed the thick folder of parchment that he was looking for and straightened up, grimacing, "Like most people, I'm susceptible to enemy Biotics. If one manages to sneak up on me. Well…"

Shepard snorted, "Sounds like you needed someone there to watch your back if a Krogan could sneak up on you."

Harry grinned ruefully, "Probably. But I'm used to working alone, and all's well that ends well."

Shepard pointed out, "From what I've been able to gather most Spectres work alone. Even if they do need a team they just hire the closest mercenary group. That seems like a crazy amount of risk when you could partner with another Spectre or train a team of commandos as backup."

Harry shrugged, "There are only so many Spectres, and too many assignments already. Spectres are the best of the best and we're a prideful lot at that. Most of the job is investigative, or espionage, and for that a team just gets in the way. Besides, you didn't have a team on Torfan. When you won your moniker."

The Commander stiffened and replied coldly, "That's classified."

The wizard shrugged again, "Not to a Spectre. That was the operation that drove me to the Spectres, and I was curious. It was quite the feat of arms."

Her voice thawed a bit with curiosity, "The operation that drove you to the Spectres?"

Harry nodded, "I'd spent the years after Mindoir fighting slavers and pirates in the Traverse. After Torfan there weren't many left and those that were operated out of the Terminus systems. That was a problem even I hesitated to tackle so I looked for alternatives."

Shepard slowly relaxed back into her chair, "Right… Piece of advice Potter, don't talk about Torfan to anybody who was there. That Op was a clusterfuck of monumental proportions and it got a lot of good marines killed."

Harry put away his trunk again and nodded his head, "Of course Shepard. I believe I should return to your doctor with these records before she hunts me down again."

Shepards mouth quirked upwards slightly, "Better you than me."

Harry rolled his eyes and left, making his way back across the ship to the medbay. The doctor glanced up at him as he entered and eagerly took the files that he gave to her. He tried to escape but a pointed look and a sharp word had him sinking down into the seat next to her desk as she perused his file. She had questions.

"How on earth did all of the bones in your arm vanish?"

"Of all the teachers I had in school, the one that did that was actually not the worst."

"You had your shoulder torn open by a Dragon?"

"Yes, a Hungarian Horntail to be exact. I was flying around her head trying to steal an egg from her nest. Not a real egg, mind, but I'm sure she didn't care at the time. Nesting mothers could be particularly nasty."

"This says you were in the hospital for a week because your feet were hexed backwards… and that you actually broke out which caused you to stay for another week due to the complications of walking around with your feet backwards."

"I couldn't miss my best friends wedding! I was the best man! Bloody healers found me during the reception, nearly had to duel them to get them to let me stay until the end."

He spent a few hours with Dr. Chakwas cracking jokes over his medical file and telling stories about the magical world. The good Doctor had a dry wit and a healthy curiosity about magic, though it did skew towards the healing aspects of magic and Harry's rough auror field healing did not cut it with her, so he promised her a few text books.

After speaking with the Doctor he retreated back to Shepard's cabin, she'd vacated it, and spent the last hours before leaving FTL researching Benezia's daughter, Liara T'soni, their target. She was young, just barely into her Maiden years, but she already had serious published academic papers. They weren't widely known and he'd had to trawl more than a few dry university extranet sites, but they were there. Just this told him a few things about her.

One, she was in rebellion from her family. As a daughter of one of the Thirty families, she would have been expected to go into public service, even at a young age. Asari of the Thirty dominated the free wheeling E-Democracy that governed the Republics. Liara would have been expected to have perhaps a wild decade or two but to quickly enter some sort of position with an influential matriarch, probably using her mother's connections. If, even at the young age of 106, Liara hadn't done so then there was some sort of disconnect between her and her mother, the one who would have pushed her in that direction.

Second, even if she was a serious published academic, she very much remained in the maiden mind set. She was stubborn and obsessive, evidenced by her multiple papers that had not been well received by the academic community. She'd kept on writing them even though there was little proof and her theories were dismissed as wild speculation. Most maidens danced or joined mercenary bands but they all threw themselves into what they did with a reckless passion, just as Liara had done with her Prothran studies.

Harry hoped that she wouldn't be hostile when they found her and that she'd come willingly. He didn't have any information on her combat ability but he guessed that any danger would come from her biotics, strong just by dint of being a member of the Thirty.

He'd just pulled up her most recent paper, attempting to gain some insight into whatever she was working on, when the ship came out of FTL with a shudder. A few minutes later Shepard's voice sounded over the intercom, "All Council observers to the comm room. Prepare for a combat drop. Potter, come to the CIC."

Harry stood from the computer, pausing only to grab one of the Biotic suppression collars he'd taken from the Spectres armory and two runed earwigs all of which went into the pouch at his hip, and left the room, headed towards the CIC and the first step towards finding Saren and Benezia.